Oppenheim: Maryland’s flawed pretrial detention system can be fixed

It is hardly a stretch to say that a person’s finances should not determine whether they remain incarcerated, presumed innocent, while awaiting a criminal trial. This sentiment even rings true to most people completely outside the parameters of the justice system. After years of calls for change from advocates, the public seems to understand bail reform. In 2017, Maryland took the historic step of changing its Rules of Court (essentially laws) to disfavor the use of cash bail and guide judges toward using the “least onerous” conditions of release during bail hearings.